“It’s over, but this doesn’t change anything because we should do our best from now to the end,” Mancini said.

“Every top team, when you can’t win a title, you should try to play well, try to win all the games, and we have the FA Cup semi-final.

“We have Chelsea four points behind, Tottenham five points behind and we play another nine games. For this reason it’s important to keep working hard.”

City, who are behind United by 18 points, face Newcastle at home this weekend.

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ABOU DIABY OUT FOR NINE MONTHS FOLLOWING TRAINING INJURY

Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby will be out for nine months after the French international tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training Wednesday. The injury is the latest in an injury-plagued career for the 26-year-old.

“Abou Diaby injured his left knee in training on Wednesday and subsequent scans have confirmed that he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament,” the club said in a statement. “Following consultations with specialists, Abou will undergo surgery to repair the injury in the near future.

“Abou is expected to be out for around eight to nine months. The thoughts and best wishes from everyone at Arsenal are with Abou, and we all wish him a successful recovery.”

Diaby has appeared 11 times for the club in the Premier League this season without logging either a goal or an assist.

PLATINI SAYS GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY IS TOO EXPENSIVE

UEFA President Michel Platini has stated goal-line technology is too expensive for Champions League and the money should be used in youth development first.

“I prefer to put more money into youth football and infrastructure than spend it on technology when there’s a goal in a blue moon that hasn’t been seen by a referee,” Platini said.

FIFA will use goal-line technology at the 2014 World Cup, a move being praised by the majority of people around the world. However, Platini is convinced the cost outweighs the eventual gain.

“It would cost around 54 million euros (£46m) over five years for this technology, so it’s quite expensive for the sort of mistake which happens once every 40 years,

13 Responses to Mid-Day Ticker: Mancini concedes title race; Diaby out for nine months; and more

I dont see how goal line technology is that expansive. Put a camera in the crossbar so it looks down on the line. Have the 4th official or a 5th one in a booth somewhere watch it to see if the ball crosses. Not that difficult

Not even! There are already plenty of cameras. Any spectator watching on TV can determine the correct call after twenty seconds or so of replays. That’s the most baffling thing about their stance – why are they satisfied with letting millions of people be in a better position to make calls than the ref?

Hard to say that Platini does have a point as youth development is a better place to use some cash. However, why do some difficult technical goal line technology when all you need is one more referee in a video booth to review the video during the moments immediately after the event. This would be a nominal cost and perhaps could be offset by dropping the additional referee along each goal line.

The Champions league brings in a bazillion dollars annually and goal-line techonology is too expensive?? Maybe Platini should stop stuffing his pockets with that money or reduce that ridiculous salary that he clearly hasn’t earned. I am all for youth development, however, if there is a way to improve the game that is effective and doesn’t disrupt the flow of the match I am all for it. You can’t put a price tag on getting a result of a match right.

How in the world does goal-line technology cost $69 million? I work for an engineering firm, give me $10 million and I guarantee a working technological solution for every venue that hosts a champion’s league game for the next 5 years. And I’ll make a fat profit. Or, like everyone else says, just pay a human official to sit in a booth and mount a camera above the goal and the problem is taken care of.

The idea of conceding a title before it’s mathematically out of reach, is something I’ll never understand. I’m not aware of it ever happening in American sports leagues. Sure, we know it’s unlikely, but why not play it out? I guess it doesn’t matter one way or another, but not exactly inspiring from your coach.